New chief of police Eichinger: Challenges and opportunities for Grieskirchen!

New chief of police Eichinger: Challenges and opportunities for Grieskirchen!

Gerhard Eichinger will take over the management of the district police commands in Grieskirchen and Eferding from August 1st. The 55-year-old, who comes from Hartkirchen and lives in Andorf, has already gained extensive experience in police work. He has been stationed in Grieskirchen since March and has taken over this position interim. Eichinger succeeds Christian Stemmer, who is now working in the education center. Eichinger has set himself very high goals, in particular the support of his employees in order to successfully master the challenges of the next few years. His claim to intensify cooperation with other blue light organizations is evident.

The topic of personnel is also a challenge for Eichinger. The police service is currently affected by a lack of personnel, which is due to the retirement of the so-called baby boomer generation. Nevertheless, there is positive news: This year the hiring of new staff is due to improve the situation. In addition, the savings rate that affects all districts in Upper Austria must be met, including the districts that Eichinger will lead. The region does not have a high crime rate, but there are challenges in the criminal and transport sector. Meinverzirk reports of the specific focus of Eichinger.

Another interesting personnel is Major Stefan Haslberger, who, after almost a decade in Ried, where he was appointed district police commander from 2013 to 2023, returns to Braunau to take command there. Martin Pumberger, his predecessor, retired at the end of March 2023. Gerald Eichinger, who now has a new task in Ried, started in 1998 as the then youngest district police commander of Eferding at the age of 28. This return to Eferding enables him to use his valuable experiences and further expand his commitment to the local security situation. News describes the change within the police committees precisely.

The positive development in the human resources also shows itself in the recruitment figures. Interest in the police profession has tripled since July 2023. Over 3,000 applicants have already applied for the training, which is a considerable increase. A new admission procedure, better salaries, the possibility of acquiring the driver's license during the training, and the introduction of a premium system have promoted this development. In 2023, over 1,100 new police officers were hired, which shows a historic high in the staff of 32,000 employees in Austria. BMI emphasizes that demographic challenges in personnel and admission planning were also taken into account.

The change at the head of the district police commands in the region is an important step into a future -oriented security strategy. With Gerhard Eichinger at the top in Grieskirchen and Eferding and Major Haslberger in Braunau, you are well positioned to meet the challenges of local security and to protect the population as best as possible.